Setting up a Trunnion 5 axis

[Chris.Botha]

Hey all,

I have just upgraded my Minitech machine to a 5th axis, trunnion style.

I could use a little advice about setting it up in Rhinocam, is this table/table, table/head or head head?!?

and also a post processor for it? (it is driven by Mach3 but that PP does not have 5th setup in it.

Machine layout as so:

[MecSoft Support]

For a Trunnion you would defined it as Table-Table configuration under machine tool setup dialog. From the picture it looks like your primary axis rotation is about X axis and secondary about Z. If you could email us the Mach3 post you are currently using to [email protected] we can configure it for this 5 axis machine. Please also indicate in your email the rotary axis code for Primary & Secondary axis.

[Chris.Botha]

Thank you for that feedback.. I just finished building it, and have some configuration to do in Mach as yet, but as soon as that is done ill start getting serious about RC.

I think i might be very interested in how RC handles limiting the code so that it stay constrained within limits that I can set the A axis to turn to.. I have a serious space problem and most likely i will only have a total of 180 degrees of motion in A (more or less)

once its all running and i know those angles i will be able to give you a fuller picture. I woudl also liek to ad my own machine/trunnion design to RC for crash detection if that is available?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... 0Iy70aqOHA

[MecSoft Support]

Thank you for the update. Yes, you can add your machine to the list. To add machine tools you would have to create the machine model in .stl file format and create an .xml file that establishes the kinematics and add this to the machine folder under C:\ProgramData\MecSoft Corporation\RhinoCAM 2014 for Rhino 5.0\Machines
Refer to 5AxOkuma_MU400VA folder which shows the machine tool definition of a 5 axis table-table machine configuration.
Machine tool simulation does not perform a crash detection with machine tool.

[Chris.Botha]

Thank you for the feedback.

what specific information do you need from me to setup a PP for MAch3 for my machine?

I have used the standard Mach3 MM post and added [rotation_axis_secondary] and [angle_secondary] which when I path this bit of code :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxYSbWn0ikA

It outputs A and B codes as expected

G00 G49 G40.1 G17 G80 G50 G90G21
(5 Axis Surface Normal Machining)
(1)
M6 T0
M03 S20000
G01 X1.0039 Y2.0090 Z0.0000 A-67.249 F175.2 B-67.249
Z13.6030 A-67.249 B-67.249
X1.5204 Y-7.1985 Z9.7358 A-67.249 B-67.249
X2.0369 Y-16.4060 Z5.8685 A-67.249 B-67.249
G00 X2.0404 Y-16.3316 Z5.6926 A-67.249
X2.0077 Y-16.2461 Z5.4868 A-67.249
X1.9362 Y-16.1656 Z5.2891 A-67.249
X1.8281 Y-16.0924 Z5.1056 A-67.249
X1.6869 Y-16.0290 Z4.9421 A-67.249

but when i follow the video on indexed 5 axis machining in the tutorials no matter what I do or which plane i set my MCS it only generates A motions.. which is a problem as my A cannot move to -90 to cu the back of a part, it would have to stay at A90 and B would have to turn 180 instead. I seem unable to enforce this behaviour using the rotate MCS dialog by rotating over Y or X or Z, they all only output A codes?

SO: I figure im shooting in the dark.. should i model my machine and in the rhino file add arcs showing my Max A rotation limits and upload it?

What other info will you need?

other than that one video on indexed 5 axis pathing are there any other tutorial videos available?

[MecSoft Support]

Based on the information you provided earlier, we know that it is a 5 axis Table-Table configuration with "A" being the primary axis and "B" as secondary axis.
As you have edited the post processor added the secondary axis macros to the multi-axis motion tab in your post processor, you would also need to add this to the Setup tab in your post processor under Setup 0 (coordinate system change) macro to output primary & secondary axis angle when programming indexed 5 axis. If you need help with editing the post, please us the Mach3 post you are currently using to [email protected] we can configure it for your 5 axis machine.
We do not have any additional video tutorials for indexed 5 axis programming. We do have a Getting Started Tutorial that includes a tutorial on 5 axis. This can be found under the resources tab at http://mecsoft.com/rhinocam-mill/

[Chris.Botha]

Thanks!

Currently modelling the setup to add to a post later on.. no doubt i will need to reference it a few times..



Once i nut out an efficient method for 5 axis ring machining i will do a video on it and post. the 4 axsi video is still doing the rounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTMaN9DDUcI

trunnion.jpg (163.46 KiB) Viewed 32122 times

[Chris.Botha]

Based on the information you provided earlier, we know that it is a 5 axis Table-Table configuration with "A" being the primary axis and "B" as secondary axis.
As you have edited the post processor added the secondary axis macros to the multi-axis motion tab in your post processor, you would also need to add this to the Setup tab in your post processor under Setup 0 (coordinate system change) macro to output primary & secondary axis angle when programming indexed 5 axis.

Ok, so that worked! Thanks, B is now showing the flip and A is locked down at -90... more on that glitch below...

Capture.JPG (174.74 KiB) Viewed 32119 times

BUT.. I strictly need to stop my A travelling back past A-30 or further up past 120(ish), so have defined that angel limitation in the setup tab as so.. however it still posts to negative 90 rather than the available positive 90? (is this dialog excluding any movement between those to points, resulting in my A-90 in the path, or is it limiting motion to inside those parameters?

cap2.JPG (143.56 KiB) Viewed 32119 times

my pathing seems to be coming along ok, but without a way to test it right now im not sure what will or wont crash the machine..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg5TEj5 ... e=youtu.be

and the machine modelling close to done too.

[MecSoft Support]

If you could upload or send an email to [email protected] the programmed RhinoCAM part file and a copy of your post processor we can take a look at it.

[Chris.Botha]

Just finished and uploaded! and link to GD folder in your email, I was just finishing up the trunnion model and layout. In GoogleDrive folder file will be my Trunnion Model, with notes and axis limitations all noted for clarity sake.

Also the file I was pathing above, with paths still intact as i wrote then, also my own tool library and the latest version of the SPM im Using.

Apologies for drawn out logic on this, BUT, if the past is anything to go by, ill get this running, then a dozen or so jewelers will also get it into their minds to upgrade their minitechs and I would like to lay down a clear path for them.

If you can note any changes you make to the SPM and why it will help me write a more complete HOWTO and save you folks some drama down the line too I would guess

Capture.JPG (175.46 KiB) Viewed 32111 times

[MecSoft Support]

Thanks for sending us the files. We will take a look at them and get back to you.

[Chris.Botha]

Thanks for sending us the files. We will take a look at them and get back to you.

Thanks, got email, all understood now, I had erroneously assumed the software will detect it cannot reach an area in A and roll B instead.

Still green to this, that was my first path, I will beat the bush a little more and see how to workflow around the limitation in my axial travel in A.

and if the drawings dont make sense quite a few images of the build are here, perhaps more clearly explaining the issue around the A rotation issue
image 6 has A at 90 ans its nicely available to the spindle, but image 7 has A at -90 and My X cannot travel far back enough for the spindle to even reach past the chuck, so the majority of my cutting will be in the back of A (A-30 to about A120)

http://3dcadjewelry.com/forum/entry.php ... going-saga

[Chris.Botha]

Hey All,

Sorry to be a pain, but how will I be able to run a rotary cut "4th axis" on the B?

So I load me Wax in the A0 position like so

facing 0.jpg (398.95 KiB) Viewed 32103 times

then roll A to A90, now i need to write a rotary cutting path around the cylindrical red wax?

facing 90.jpg (393.54 KiB) Viewed 32103 times

Does B now become my primary axis in my machine setup?

[MecSoft Support]

4 axis toolpath methods cannot be used to program this part on a 5 axis setup. You would have to program this using a simultaneous 5 axis toolpath method. The attached example shows 5 axis surface normal machining for the cylinder part. The Primary & secondary axis for your machine configuration remains unchanged.

[Chris.Botha]

Thank you for that.

The hassle with that is that the geometry will never be that simple. My fault for using a simple example.

When i run that path over my typical geometry the path is all over the show, including rotations that my machine simply cannot reach.

view.jpg (661.76 KiB) Viewed 32084 times

is there a way to limit the rotation in a certain axis?

view 2.jpg (222.28 KiB) Viewed 32084 times

adding the ring to post.